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Friday, July 26, 2013

Music on the News: Gina Weibel

WISC 3 News in Madison, WI, visited Gina Weibel's Let's Play Music
studio to check out the best way to teach music, how to keep young
children engaged in learning, and the importance of starting music at a
young age.

Surprisingly, although the 3-year curriculum
is piano-intensive, there are no pianos used in the first year. Gina
says, "We help them experience and internalize the music theory, and
when they get on the piano the next year, it all comes together
beautifully. That first year, their little fingers don't quite have the
dexterity for piano skills, but their ears are eager for ear-training
and their minds easily connect the theory."

Gina says,
"You can teach complex things to young kids if you make it fun, give
them loads of experience to help them put meaning behind the concepts,
and avoid abstractions (like note names and chord symbols) in the
beginning."

At the finale of 3 years, each student
leaves Let's Play Music with his or her very own piano composition. Gina
tells us, "we teach them to understand how to put music together, how
to write accompaniments, and how to change the music as well as how to
read what they play. That's empowering....and that makes creating music
joyful."

The Let's Play Music total musicianship program is taught by certified teachers around the USA. Take a moment to find a teacher near you.